Hide and Sleep An SG1 SGA Crossover
by theicemenace
Summary: An SG-1 / SGA Crossover featuring Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill, Rodney McKay and Jennifer Keller
1. Prologue When You Cease To Dream

**SG-1**** / SGA Crossover**

**Hide and Sleep**

**Prologue**

**When You Cease To Dream You Cease To Live**

It was night in Atlantis as she floated through the familiar corridors looking for him. She knew this place, had walked it halls, interacted with the people, made friends and enemies. She knew he was near, the one she was looking for.

Walls meant nothing to her but she kept to the corridors until she came to his place. He was here! Gliding through the door she nearly activated the sensor as she passed through the mechanism. She'd have to be more careful next time.

Inside, she hovered over the sleeping man. He was on his side, a female form nestled against his back, her slender arm across his chest looking pale against the dark of his t-shirt. The face was hidden against his neck, a curtain of blonde hair and an oversized t-shirt bunched up around her ears.

She gathered her strength and, as carefully as possible, slipped into his dreams. Her intrusion, the first she'd been able to accomplish, caused him to stir restlessly and call out unintelligibly. He quieted when the woman at his back rubbed his chest instinctively in her sleep, soothing him.

It would take a while for her to actually be able to make contact with him but she didn't have a choice. He was the only one who could help her.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Stargate: Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1, darn it. Only the characters that have sprung from my mind and have somehow ended up here.

**A/N:** This is the beginning of a new series. Please let me know what you think.

Namasté,

Sandy


	2. Nothing Happens Unless First A Dream

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 1**

**Nothing Happens Unless First A Dream**

As he walked through the corridors of Atlantis, Rodney McKay cradled his electronic tablet in one hand while the other tapped purposefully at the display screen. He expertly avoided people, furniture, plants and walls, taking the turns automatically.

In a small corner of his mind he could see the remainder of his path to the science lab while the rest of it thought effortlessly of other things: complex calculations for current research, breakfast, Jennifer, the mission he and his team had just been on, the missions planned, lunch, his sister and niece, repairs on the damaged Jumpers, and thousands of other bits that flowed and ebbed in and around his synapses. Not in any particular order and certainly not according to his personal priority list.

He stopped short when a wall suddenly appeared in from of him. _What the hell?_ _How could I have taken a wrong turn?_ Retracing his steps he found he was surrounded by walls on all four sides. He also noticed that he no longer held his tablet. "Oh crap! What is going on now?" His earpiece made no sound when he touched it. "McKay to the tower. Can anyone hear me? Chuck? Sheppard? Anyone?" He pulled the device from his ear when a burst of static erupted from it then spun around when a familiar voice spoke to him.

"They can't hear you, Rodney." Standing there in front of him was the last, or rather _one_ of the last people he expected to see: Sam Carter. She was dressed all in white. In his fantasies, he had frequently pictured her in white, something tight, short and low-cut, not in the hospital scrubs she now wore. Her blonde hair was back in a ponytail. Except for the scrubs she looked just like he'd last seen her when she was removed as the head of the expedition.

"Sam?"

"Yes, Rodney. It's me." A sad smile covered her attractive face.

"H-h-how did you get here? No one mentioned that you were coming and I thought the _Daedalus_ wasn't due till morning."

She moved closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not really here. You're still asleep and dreaming…sort of."

He could feel the heat from her hand on his shoulder, smell her scent that was a mixture of her shampoo and that indefinable something that was unique to her. Funny, it no longer turned him on the way it used to. She used to figure prominently in many of his daydreams and fantasies but that stopped months ago. Right about the time he realized he loved Jennifer.

He clapped his hands once. "I _know_ what this is! I've hit my head again and you're a manifestation of my delirium just like when I was trapped in the Jumper on the ocean floor." He shook a finger at her. "We've been through this before and I'm not falling for it again. You can just get back inside my head and let me get on with getting better. Though I do admit that I don't remember being injured. Of course, that could just be another symptom of the concussion I've undoubtedly suffered. Not to mention I probably haven't had anything to eat in a while so my blood sugar is-"

"Rodney!" The hand on his shoulder shook him, squeezing almost to the point of pain. "Listen to me carefully because I don't know how long I'll be able to stay. Have you been having odd dreams?"

"Yes, now that you mention it. I thought it was just from all the power bars I've been eating to keep my strength up because, you know, I've been feeling a little run down lately. I've been achy, had weird headaches and not sleeping well. My body requires at least nine hours of sleep a night and I've been having the _strangest_ dreams and…oh."

"Yes. _Oh_. I'm at the SGC or rather my body is. SG-1 went on a mission and something happened there. The only thing I remember is arriving on PXX-275 with SG-1 and examining some tech we found there. I'm not completely sure but I think I'm asleep and just can't wake up.

"A few days after this happened I found I could leave my body and travel. No one at the SGC could hear or see me. Not even…" She waved that thought away. "I was drawn here to Pegasus. Specifically I was drawn to you. Somehow, our minds have become psychically linked and I've been trying to contact you. Once here I was able to enter your dreams. Bit by bit I've been gaining more and more control of myself in this state." She brought her other hand up to grasp both shoulders. "Dr. Lam can keep my body alive but not forever. This is not living and I have plans for my life that don't include being in some strange sleep coma. Rodney, I need your help. You must to go back to Earth, to the SGC and help them help me. You are the only one I can contact this way. You're the only one I trust to figure this out."

* * * * *

Rodney shot to a sitting position in his bed, breathing hard and covered in perspiration. Jennifer stirred in her sleep.

Sam! She needed his help. It had to be a dream but it was so vivid! Only one way to find out. It was 5:18am local time. He carefully removed Jennifer's hand and laid it on the bed, then pulled the covers up to her neck. On impulse he brushed the hair from her face and whispered, "I love you."

Without bothering to get dressed or shave he made his way to the control room in his sleep pants, t-shirt and slippers. He was in luck. Chuck was the only tech on duty but wouldn't be for long. The rest were due soon. Chuck could be discreet. By discreet, Rodney knew that if he asked him to he could be trusted to keep what he was about to do confidential. For now. Rodney himself could go in and alter the logs if it became necessary but he needed Chuck to facilitate the connection to the SGC. He needed confirmation that Sam really did need help and it wasn't just a dream before he took the arduous trek back to Earth. Unusual solar activity made use of the Stargate iffy at best. They could end up anywhere in time…or they might reach their intended target without incident. There was no way to know. So they would have to take the trip to Earth in the _Daedalus_. When they reached the Milky Way they could transport to the nearest planet with a gate to get to the SGC.

"Chuck, I need you to do something for me, confidentially, if you could."

"Sure, Doc, anything. What do you need?" Rodney laid out his plan and Chuck began the process of making the connection to Earth.

* * * * *

His fears had been confirmed. Certain that Woolsey would be awake soon he returned to his quarters and quickly showered and shaved. He might have foregone both but the favor he had to ask was _big_ and he figured he'd make a better impression if he was properly dressed and clean shaven. Jennifer had already gone but had left a short note to meet her for lunch in the dining hall. He may or may not be able to make it. It all depended on what happened in the next hour or so.

Knowing that he could think better on a full stomach, he swung by the dining hall and grabbed a quick breakfast: eggs, sausage, and toast with strawberry jam, a banana, milk, coffee and one of those cream cheese Danishes he liked. Thus fortified, he arrived at Woolsey's office just as he was opening the door.

"Mr. Woolsey, could I speak to you a moment?"

"Of course, Doctor. Come in, have a seat." Woolsey seated himself but McKay remained standing. He was filled with nervous energy and wanted to pace. He settled for rubbing his hands together and bouncing on the balls of his feet. "What, uh, seems to be the problem?"

Richard Woolsey's personality and command style were vastly different than either Elizabeth's or Sam's. And some of the staff still resented Sam being ousted so nearly everyone called him "Mr. Woolsey" or just "Woolsey" depending on the situation. What Rodney needed him to agree to demanded that he pull out all the stops, to be at his most persuasive. He had wanted to save this for when he really needed it and today was the day.

"Richard," he said, deliberately using his first name, "I need your help." The name felt awkward at first but he had to get past that and on to the reason he came here.

Woolsey, for his part, knew a set up when he heard one but he also knew how to play the game. Why he'd practically invented it! "Please, have a seat…Rodney. What can I help you with?"

"I need your approval to take another trip to Earth."

*********

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Stargate: Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1, darn it. Only the characters that have sprung from my mind and have somehow ended up here.


	3. Dreams Of Hope

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 2**

**Dreams of Hope**

"I need your approval to take another trip to Earth."

"Vacation? You were just there a few weeks ago."

"No, _not_ vacation. And I need to take Dr. Keller with me this time as well, provided she agrees to go."

Woolsey leaned back in his chair, one leg resting on the knee of the other. His pose was calculated to appear relaxed, to put the obviously agitated McKay at ease. It worked. McKay stopped fidgeting and sat down.

"Tell me about it."

"It started a few days ago. I began to have strange dreams I couldn't remember. They left me feeling as if I hadn't slept at all yet I knew that I had." He felt himself about to fall into one of his stuttering frenzies fueled by the adrenaline that was pumping into his system in a continuous stream making him jittery and restless, his fight or flight response working overtime. Finally, he could take sitting still no more and got up to pace from one side of the office to another. It seemed to help. Maybe Sheppard was right about it helping him think.

"Then last night or rather this morning, the dream was different. Colonel Carter made…contact with me." Though Woolsey was an expert at not showing emotion, McKay knew that he was dubious. He rushed though the rest of the story. "It was so real, so vivid. She told me that I was the only person she could contact and that she needed my help.

"Chuck agreed to contact the SCG without informing you. Please don't reprimand him. I take full responsibility." Woolsey nodded in agreement albeit reluctantly and McKay nodded once in appreciation.

"The SGC sent a data burst with all the information regarding Sam's, uh, Colonel Carter's condition, medical records, mission reports, video records, scans of the tech she'd been handling when whatever this is happened to her. Anything and everything they could think of to send whether they thought it was pertinent or not." He paused to catch his breath and finally stopped pacing to face the expedition commander.

"Colonel Carter and I have been…friends for many years," he hoped that small fiction would pass without comment. "She needs my help and I _can't_ turn away from a friend in need. Maybe this will, in a small way, make up for all of the…misunderstandings we've had over the years.

"From what Dr. Keller told me after examining the medical info, she won't last much longer. Her body will begin to fail within a few weeks at best. I don't know for certain I _can_ help. All I know is I have to _try_. A-a-and if you don't approve this request then I'm…prepared to, uh, re-re-resign." He gave Woolsey his best defiant stare. No blinking, no faltering, no remorse for his ultimatum.

The entire time McKay related his tale Woolsey had sat at his ease hardly moving or even blinking behind the reflective lenses of his glasses. Now he sat forward, hands clasped together on the desk in front of him, much like a judge about to pronounce sentence on a criminal, his brows knit in thought as he digested everything he'd been told.

McKay hardly dared to breathe. When the decision came, his relief dissipated the tightness in his chest.

* * * * *

Sheppard approached Woolsey's office looking for McKay. He'd been told by Chuck where to find him. The door opened and he saw the two men shake hands. He did his best to hide his surprise when he heard McKay say, "Thank you, Richard. You don't know how much I appreciate you doing this for me."

"Well, you made a very convincing argument, Rodney. And the decision was only _partially_ influenced by your threat to resign. Good luck." Rodney nodded once and turned away.

"Hey, McKay." Sheppard broke into a short run to catch up with his teammate and friend. "What was _that_ all about? Since when are you on a first name basis with our fearless leader?"

"Since this morning. Sorry, I've already had breakfast and have to get going. There's packing to do and I have to talk with Jennifer." He was distracted, his mind working on the situation with the limited amount of information he was able to get from the SCG. Because she was alone when whatever it was that happened to her happened there was very little info except the mission reports submitted by Mitchell, Teal'c and a Dr. Jones, who had taken Daniel's place while the latter was recuperating from his visit to Atlantis and their encounter with the rogue Asgards living in Pegasus.

"_Packing_? Where're you going? What's going on?" Sheppard didn't hide his surprise this time. "And what was that about resigning? And more importantly, why aren't the rest of the team going? "

McKay turned to look at his friend. "Humph. What you _really_ want to know is why _you_ aren't going."

"Okay, you caught me."

"I'm headed to Earth. Sam's in trouble and needs my help."

Sheppard stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Sam? As in Colonel Carter? What's going on?"

The scientist shrugged off the hand and continued walking as he recounted his "dream", the call to Earth and his conversation with Woolsey.

"Oh, man. That's rough. Well, if anyone can figure it out it'll be you and Keller." He more than understood McKay's threat to resign. He'd have done the same in his place.

McKay shot him a quick smile of thanks but refrained from this usual retort. He kind of liked this humble thing Jennifer advised him to try. Apparently so did most everyone else. He sighed.

"So, the 'misses' and the 'mistress' in the same place at the same time. I don't envy you."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" The stutter told Sheppard that McKay knew _exactly_ what he meant and it delighted the Colonel immensely.

"I'm talking about your decade-long obsession with our _oh_-so attractive former commander."

Sheppard gave his friend high marks when he didn't bother to try to deny it. "How, uh, how…"

"How did I know? I can read you like a Dr. Seuss book, McKay."

"Well, it-it-it's not like that any more." Sheppard looked skeptical. "Really! I-I-I've hardly thought about her that way since Jennifer and I got together."

"Yeah. I noticed a change since you came back from that conference. I haven't yet decided if I _like _the 'new' McKay but keep it up. It'll probably grow on me…like a fungus." He said it with his usual crooked smile to take the sting out of the words.

McKay smiled his thanks and they parted at the infirmary entrance. "Dr. Keller, could I have a few moments of your time?"

_Uh-oh_, she thought. _It must be serious if he's being formal_. She matched his formality, "Certainly, Dr. McKay. My office?" They went in and shut the door. McKay emerged nearly forty minutes later and Keller called Dr. Cole in.

Two hours later, she and McKay were in the Gate Room surrounded by duffle bags, medical and scientific equipment awaiting transfer to the _Daedalus._ Due to unusual solar flare activity they wouldn't be able to 'gate to Earth so the _Daedalus_ would transport them as far as the beginning of the Milky Way where they would be dropped at the first planet with a Star Gate in order to shorten their travel time to the SGC. McKay paced back and forth muttering to himself. She tried to calm him by massaging his shoulders. They were so tense she could barely get a grip but eventually he relaxed if only a little. He touched her hand and gave her a smile of thanks.

"Um, Doc, the _Daedalus _won't be ready to leave until this evening." Chuck informed him. "Why don't you just relax and I'll call you when it's time."

McKay glanced at the woman beside him. She shrugged. By silent mutual agreement they ended up at his quarters. She directed him to take off his jacket and shoes and lie face down on the bed. She kneeled beside him gently massaging his neck, shoulders, back and arms. When she finished he was sound asleep. She picked up a book and sat down to read. She'd wake him when it was time to go.

He wasn't asleep more than fifteen minutes before Sam came to him again.

* * * * *

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Stargate: Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1. Please don't sue.


	4. Dare To Dream

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 3**

**Dare to Dream**

Rodney wasn't asleep more than fifteen minutes before Sam came to him again.

He recognized the dead end corridor from this morning and looked around for her. He rushed forward when he saw her pulling her into a relieved hug and she actually hugged him back. At one time he would have given anything to touch her like this. Now all he could think about is that he might not get there in time to save her. He pulled back to look into her face. "Sam! I've been worried sick! Has there been any change?"

"Some and not for the better. I can feel my body getting weaker. They don't think I can hear them talking but I can. Dr. Lam says that eventually I might need to be put on a respirator. I'd rather that didn't happen. Sooner or later my organs will begin to fail."

"Oh _no_! We can't use the gate due to an outbreak of solar flares so it will be more than a week until we arrive. We'll be leaving as soon as the _Daedalus_ is ready to go."

"We?"

"Uh, Jen-uh, Dr. Keller is coming too." He looked uneasy and didn't meet her eyes. She took his hand and drew him to a bench. "You know, two heads are better than, uh, one?" he finished lamely. "In this case it'll be lots of heads plus two."

"True." She believed him but there was something he wasn't telling her. She let it go for now. "I remembered a little of what happened."

"Really? That's good." He knew this dream Sam was only a manifestation of her consciousness in his mind but she looked and felt real. It was very difficult for him to know that she might possibly die so he took refuge from that reality by directing those thoughts to remembering every detail she recounted.

"We arrived on PXX-275 and walked to some ruins about three klicks from the 'gate. In one of the nearly intact buildings I found some tech we've never encountered before. While Mitchell and Teal'c did a recon, Vala's on a mission with SG-7, Dr. Jones and I examined it, took scans and estimated its age at about three thousand years. There was a low level of power coming from it, just barely registering on our instruments." She paused for breath looking inward at something only she could see. "We concluded that it was safe and…" She trailed off, her forehead creased in thought.

"What?" Rodney took her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her fingers gripped his tightly. "Tell me."

"I just remembered something! When I touched it I thought about you and how you'd love to get your hands on some new tech then…nothing. The next thing I remember is floating above my body and watching the medical staff look after me."

"That's it! That's why I'm the only one you can contact. You, uh, thought about me?" He was surprised and more than a little thrilled but not as much as he might once have been.

"Don't read too much into it, McKay. I always think of you when I find new alien tech because I know how you like to play with new 'toys'. You're such a geek that way."

"You know me so well, Sam." He stood and began to pace. "I don't think there's any doubt that something about that device did this. But what? What could be its _purpose_?" He came to a stop, his eyes tracking back and forth as he thought it out. He exhaled loudly. "I got nothing. I'll have to examine it in person." He turned back to her, his excitement at the prospect of analyzing a new technology fading away at the look on her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I-I-I don't know. I think something's happening to my body." She started to fade, her image becoming opaque then transparent. "It feels like…" Her eyes went wide in alarm.

"Sam!" Just as Rodney reached for her, she blinked and was gone.

*****

"Sam!" Rodney shot to a sitting position on the bed his breath coming in hard gasps. Jennifer was shaking him and calling his name.

"Rodney? Rodney, are you alright?" He'd been tossing and turning muttering incoherently. She hadn't been able to wake him. Her professional detachment had nearly deserted her and she was alarmed almost to the point of panic. "I was just about to call for a gurney."

"No! No. I-I'm-fine. Just give me a few minutes to (gasp) to catch my b-b-breath." She drew him into an embrace, his head on her shoulder. Her hands moved up and down his back calming him. He clutched her to him. Eventually his breathing slowed, became normal. He eased himself out of her arms, slipped on his shoes and jacket and headed for the door.

"Rodney, wait! Where are you going? What happened?" Jennifer had to run to keep up with him.

"Something's happened to Sam. I have to speak to Woolsey again. I think I can figure a way for us to use the Stargate."

"But what about the solar flares? Won't we end up in the future like Sheppard or the past like SG-1?" She was getting out of breath trying to keep up with him. "Rodney, _please_ slow down."

He slowed his pace a little and took her by the hand. "Sorry. I have an idea. It'll take a few hours and I'll need Radek's help but…I think we can do it."

"Okay. But what happened to Colonel Carter?" She felt his distress in the way he gripped her hand and took his in both of hers massaging gently. It seemed to help.

"That's just it. I don't _know_. She was telling me some things she remembered from the mission then got the oddest look on her face. Something was happening to her body, she said. Then she was just…gone. Jennifer, would you please contact the SGC and see what's happening while I talk to Woolsey and Radek?"

She gave him a compassionate smile. "Of course. You go on ahead."

"Thanks." He took off at a run.

*****

When she found him a couple of hours later, he and Radek Zelenka were in the main science lab. They had their heads together over Rodney's laptop. Radek was nodding. "Yes, okay. Now what if…"

"No, that won't work because of…"

"Right. Right. Then what about…"

"Hmm. But first we'd have to…"

"I know. I know." Radek moved over to his own laptop and began rapidly tapping at the keys. "Now if we…"

Rodney paused with his folded hands to his mouth, deep in thought. He clapped once. "_Yes_! That's it! Okay, now we're getting somewhere. I need you to…"

"Already doing it. Can you…"

"On it! Okay. Done! Now you need to…"

Jennifer was getting dizzy trying to keep up with the verbal shorthand used by the two physicists. If this kept up she'd need a chiropractor for the crick in her neck.

"Done as well. It looks like we're ready to…"

"…test." Both men had the self-satisfied look of triumph over a very difficult set of circumstances. Rodney extended a hand to Radek and they bumped fists, eyes still on their monitors. "So what should we use? How about…"

"No. Let's use…"

"Yeah. Yeah. That'll do it." They both jumped up. "Oh, hey Jennifer. What's the word on Sam?"

Her look was grim. "Colonel Carter had a seizure and is now in a coma. If you're going to help her, you need to do it fast. The serotonin levels in her brain are at extremely high levels and climbing. Adenosine builds up while we are awake to make us drowsy and dissipates while we sleep but for her it isn't. It appears that these two chemicals together are causing this.

"You see, the brain goes through four sleep stages plus REM. Her brain has been stuck in a loop of sorts. It's going through stages three, four and REM over and over without passing through one and two. Dr. Lam has no idea why."

"Oh crap! Well, we're just about to test our theory. Want to come?" Jennifer nodded and followed Rodney and Radek out of the main science lab.

*****

The trio were elated. The testing had gone very well and shortly Rodney and Jennifer stood with their equipment piled on a four-wheeled cart. Sheppard, Ronon and Woolsey were there to see them off. At Woolsey's nod, Amelia Banks dialed the address for Earth. The wormhole blasted out of the center of the ring and the rippling water illusion replaced the empty space.

Rodney shook hands with the expedition commander. "Richard. I don't know how to thank you."

"Just help Colonel Carter, Rodney. If anyone can figure it out it's the two of you."

Rodney nodded once then pushed the cart forward. He and Jennifer stepped through the event horizon and a few seconds later it collapsed.

Woolsey, Sheppard and Ronon exchanged looks then went their separate ways. None of them doubted that Rodney and Jennifer would be able to resolve this crisis before it was too late. But that didn't stop them from worrying.


	5. Necessary Dreams

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 4**

**Necessary Dreams**

Rodney and Jennifer crossed the event horizon into the SGC. Immediately, technicians rushed forward to take control of the cart with their equipment and personal belongings. Major General Hank Landry stepped forward. "Dr. McKay. Dr. Keller. Welcome to the SGC. You'll want to get to work immediately, I presume." They shook hands.

"Of course." To the techs he said, "Take my equipment to Colonel Carter's office. I'll work from there. I need all of the _original_ information, mission reports, scans, everything, and I'll want to speak personally to Mitchell, Teal'c and Dr. Jones. Dr. Keller?"

"The infirmary. I want to meet with Dr. Lam as soon as possible."

"I'll come with you."

*****

Rodney wanted to see for himself that Sam was still alive but paused at the entrance to the infirmary. Jennifer saw the hesitation. "Come on. Waiting won't make it easier, Rodney."

"I know. I just…what if we can't find a way to help her and she…If the worst happens then I'd rather remember her the way she was, happy and full of life. Not…well, you know."

Jennifer smiled affectionately. "I understand but she would be there for _you_. The least you can do is be there for _her_."

"I would give almost anything for her to be in her lab working. You know, she could put me in my place with just a word or a look. And sometimes I even deserved it." Jennifer took him by the hand and tugged him forward.

Sitting at her bedside was Major General Jack O'Neill. He had a laptop open and was busily typing away yet sitting in such a way that he could see the figure in the bed with just a slight upward tilt of his head.

As Rodney and Jennifer approached Sam's bed Jack set the laptop aside and stood extending his hand. "McKay."

Rodney took the proffered hand and matched his clipped greeting. "O'Neill." He motioned to the woman at his side. "CMO of Atlantis Dr. Jennifer Keller." They nodded at each other. "Has there been any change?"

Jack's eyes flicked to the side and back. "Some. Not for the better. Dr. Lam can tell you more about that. Just out of curiosity, McKay, why are you here again?"

Rodney quickly ran down the events of the past few hours. He outlined his and Sam's theory, such as it was, watching Jack's face the whole time looking for what he didn't know. When he finished, Jack stared at him a few seconds, his face unreadable.

"Okay. Well, keep me in the loop."

"I will. I just want to...check on Sam."

Sam had been turned on her right side, a ventilator tube in her mouth and other wires and tubes running in all directions. The screen above her head monitored her vital signs and Rodney was gratified to hear the steady beep, beep of her heart. Jennifer took his hand again and he smiled thankfully at her. "I'd better get to work. Call me if there's any change?" She nodded and he left the infirmary.

*****

Rodney had been working for nearly four hours straight without coming any closer to the answer. He'd gone over every bit of information garnered from the mission and had interviewed Mitchell, Teal'c and Dr. Jones. They weren't able to provide any other information not in their mission reports. He decided that he had to try to contact Sam again and reasoned that, if they were psychically linked, then _he_ should be able enter _her_ mind just like she could enter his. All he had to do was…go to sleep. Which was easier said than done.

He'd put his head on the desk and waited for sleep to take him but his thoughts kept him awake, swirling and bouncing from one theory to another without settling on any one. He realized he was trying too hard and went for a walk to try and slow his spinning thoughts.

Without consciously making a decision to go there he ended up back at the infirmary staring down at Sam's comatose form. O'Neill was absent this time. She was on her back now and somehow that made it seem much worse.

He felt her behind him before she touched his shoulder. "You look tired, Rodney."

"I am." He rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes. "The research is going nowhere and I keep thinking what will happen if I can't figure this out. I thought I would try contacting her but wasn't able to go to sleep. Guess I just can't relax."

Jennifer led him to the vacant bed next to Sam's and directed him to lie face down. She gently massaged his tense shoulders, back and arms. And, just like earlier that day, he fell into a sound sleep.

*****

This time he found himself in a deserted hallway of the _Daedalus_. It must mean that he was getting closer to being able to get into her head. "Sam! Sam!"

"Here, Rodney." She was sitting on the floor her back to the wall. "It's getting harder for me to leave my body and get in contact with you."

He sat down across from her. "I wasn't sure it would work. At first I couldn't go to sleep but then Jen-uh, Dr. Keller helped me to relax and here I am."

Sam's forehead wrinkled in thought. "Rodney, is there something you aren't telling me about Dr. Keller?"

He looked guilty. "W-w-why would you think that?"

"For one, you blush whenever I mention her. See? Just like that." His hands flew to his face. Yes, his cheeks were indeed warm. "And two, you stutter when you're nervous or trying to hide something. But you don't need to hide anything from me, Rodney. I want us to be friends and part of that is being honest with each other."

Rodney decided to come clean. "You're right. She and I are, well, we've been, uh, that is…"

Sam smiled. "You love each other."

"Uh, yeah."

"Good."

"Yes, it is. I never thought I was capable of loving anyone as much as I love Jennifer. And what's even more amazing is she feels the same, about me that is."

"I'm very glad you've found someone special, Rodney. You deserve it."

"Really? Because I always thought you didn't like me very much."

"It wasn't that I didn't _like_ you. You were just _so_ annoying with your…" she searched for the right word.

"Obsession. Go ahead, say it. Because that's what it was. I _was_ obsessed with you for many years. _Was_, past tense, because I promise you that is _all_ behind me now. And _I_ want us to be friends too." When she didn't respond he tapped her foot with his own. "Sam?"

"What? Oh, sorry. It's getting difficult to concentrate, to keep myself here with you."

He stood and pulled her to her feet. "Uh-oh. Okay. Okay. So, ah, did you remember anything else? Anything at all."

"No, nothing. I've told you everything. It looks like you're going to have to…"

"…go to 275 and examine the device myself. Yes, I know." His eyes started tracking back and forth while he whispered to himself. He shook his finger at her for emphasis. "Sam, maybe you should go back now and save your strength. But you come to me if you remember anything or even if you just need a friend to talk to."

"I will." Impulsively she drew him into a hug and his arms went around her. After a quick squeeze her arms dropped to her sides but he continued to hold her close. "Uh, Rodney? You can let go now. _McKay_!"

He released her abruptly with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry. Force of habit. It won't happen again." He made an X over his left chest. "Cross my heart."

Sam laughed. "Bye. Good luck on 275."

"You too." She walked down the corridor away from him glancing once over her shoulder before she turned a corner and was gone.

"Okay. I can wake up now." He waited, bouncing on his toes. "Now. Wake up _now._ Come on, McKay!" He tried slapping himself a few times but it just hurt. "Oh, _hell_! Now _I_ can't wake up!" He looked around and started down one of the corridors with no specific destination in mind. He didn't even know if it would help but he had no other ideas. A bright light flashed in his eyes and he ducked away involuntarily. "Ow!" He felt a pain in his left hand and rubbed it. Next there was an even sharper pain in his right arm at the crook of his elbow and the corridor of the _Daedalus _faded from sight.


	6. Dreams That Never Were

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 5**

**Dreams That Never Were**

"Rodney? Rodney, honey, come on, wake up!" Jennifer flashed a light in his eyes checking pupil reaction talking to him all the while. Dr. Carolyn Lam attached a heart monitor, EEG leads and an oxygen sensor while Jennifer inserted an I.V. in the back of his left hand.

A technician arrived and began prepping his right arm to take blood. As soon as she inserted the needle his eyes snapped open. Jennifer held his arm still and Dr. Lam held him by the shoulders.

"What-" He looked at the faces hovering over him. Jennifer and Carolyn had their professional faces on but he could tell they were worried. "Ow! What the hell! What are you doing? What's happening?" The technician finished drawing blood, Dr. Lam listed the tests she wanted done and she departed.

"Oh, thank God! You've been asleep for over an hour. We've been trying to wake you."

"I know. After Sam left I tried to wake up and couldn't. She says it's getting harder to leave her body and make contact with me. She's also having a hard time concentrating when she's in that state."

"How long ago was this?" Carolyn asked.

"Don't know. Maybe just a few minutes. Why?"

She chewed her lip a moment while she thought. "Not long after you went to sleep, just for a few seconds her EEG changed to a pattern that emerges when one is startled then settled into a waking pattern. Then about five minutes ago it did the same thing and now it's returned to the normal for someone who is comatose."

"That's not good, right?"

"It's a 'good news, bad news' situation. The good news is, though they remain very high, the serotonin and adenosine levels _are_ starting to decline. The bad news is changes in her EEG shouldn't be happening but they are. We've never encountered anything like this before so we have no idea if it's causing neurological damage and won't until she regains consciousness."

Rodney thought it over a bit. "So what do we do?"

Carolyn looked at Jennifer and she replied. "For now, we just wait…and pray."

*****

Rodney's blood work and EEG were running parallel to Sam's at the beginning of her…condition; they had no name for what was happening to her and now to Rodney. Jennifer and Carolyn tried to get him to stay in the infirmary but he insisted on going back to Sam's office to work. Jennifer knew he preferred to work without distractions but tried to convince him to let Mitchell, Teal'c or one of the other SGA staff sit with him to provide just enough of a distraction to keep him from falling asleep. He still refused so she put a heart monitor and remote EEG monitor on him. If something happened they would know immediately.

A few minutes after he'd returned to Sam's office Jennifer and Carolyn returned to the lab to do more research on sleep disorders. Though nothing like it had ever been seen, they might get an idea on how to treat it. They were confident that the monitors would do their job however, unseen by either woman, a slight blip appeared on first the heart monitor then the EEG monitor. It was not enough of a change to set off any alarms and when Jennifer glanced at the monitor all was as it should be under the circumstances.

*****

Rodney had convinced Dr. Jones to wear the heart and EEG monitors. He told him he was fine and the doctors were being overly cautious. In truth, wearing them reminded him that he was now as much a patient as Sam.

His research got nowhere again. The only thing left was to go to PXX-275 and examine the artifact for himself but off world travel had been forbidden by Jennifer and Carolyn. He stood stretching and yawning. A wave of dizziness rippled over him, he took two steps and crashed to the floor knocking over a chair.

He lay like that for nearly thirty minutes before the arrival of Jack O'Neill who was coming to get an update. "McKay?" He crouched next to the still form touching two fingers below his ear. O'Neill was relieved to feel a steady pulse. He used the same hand to grab the land line and dial the PA.

"Medical emergency! Drs Lam and Keller to Colonel Carter's office!"

*****

As soon as Rodney saw the corridors of the _Daedalus_ he knew he'd fallen asleep again. "Oh, crap!"

"No kidding." He spun around and, as before, Sam was there.

"I'm going to guess that we're both out for the count now."

"You don't seem especially upset, McKay. I'd've thought you'd be as ticked as I am."

Rodney gave her his patented smug look. "I left instructions for them to contact Zelenka in case anything happened to me, along with my theories and conjectures. If he doesn't screw it up then he _should_ be able to pick it up from where I left off."

Sam crossed her arms and gave him a pointed stare. "What happened to the kinder, gentler McKay?"

"Sorry. Have to let the real me out now and then or my head will explode. And that would _not_ be a pretty sight."

"So what's next? And _why_ are we still on the _Daedalus_?"

Rodney's face went into deep thought mode, his arms crossed and fingers drumming. He started to pace then abruptly stopped and turned to face her again a finger raised in the universal ah-_ha_ gesture. "Don't know and…don't know."

"We could explore."

"Explore? Why? We know everything about the _Daedalus_. What more is there to see?"

"It beats just sitting here. And if I keep moving it might help me stay focused."

"Oh, yeah. The concentration thing. Okay, which way?"

"Hmm." Sam looked around. "Eeney, meeney, miny, moe. How about…moe?"

"Moe it is."

They moved down the corridor talking about nothing in particular when the scene around them blurred and changed. In front of them appeared a view of the inside of a Jumper partially filled with water. To their right were their duplicates. No, not duplicates. Sam noticed that the other her still had short hair and was dressed in a two-tone pink jacket. The first thing wrong with this picture was she didn't have any memory of ever being trapped in a sinking Jumper with Rodney. The next thing wrong was she never wore pink. She turned to ask him if he saw it too and he had the strangest look on his face. Terror, panic and embarrassment were there in equal measures. He was breathing so quickly he might hyperventilate if she didn't do something.

"Rodney!" He continued to stare straight ahead. "Rodney, calm down! Rodney!" She shook him by the shoulders and he finally focused his eyes on her.

"H-h-how did we get here?"

"I don't know. Is it a memory? I seem to recall a mission report where you had been trapped in a sinking Jumper and were rescued by Sheppard and Zelenka. But I wasn't there. Why am I a part of it?"

He turned away from her. "You are a fundamental part of this memory because, well, you _were_ there." He bobbed his head. "Mmm, sort of. When we crashed I hit my head and the concussion caused me to hallucinate. You were a delirium-induced manifestation of my subconscious."

Sam was amused by his explanation. "You know, that's sort of funny." She turned to face the other end of the Jumper. "This wasn't in your report. I want to see what happens."

"_Please_, let's just go. And don't make me beg. I'd have to get down on my knees and I'm having a little trouble with the left one."

"Rodney, you want us to be friends, right?" He nodded. "Remember what I said about honesty?" Another nod. "I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll only watch for a few minutes." She crossed her arms and waited.

"If you're even talking to me afterwards," he turned away covering his eyes with one hand, "tell me when it's over."

When the memory Sam came out of the water wearing a blue lace bra and panties, the Sam beside him growled in anger. There was nothing he could do about any of it. This memory would play out till the end and she would never, _never_ speak to him again…ever. Unless… He remembered the one thing that might be his saving grace.

The memory Sam was kissing the memory him but he pushed her away. He was proud of that and not just because Sam was watching. The scene blurred and it was suddenly at the end just before John and Radek rescued him. He was at the top of the filled Jumper with only a few inches of air. _Here it comes_, he thought. He crossed his fingers behind his back when he heard himself say, "I've always admired you, Sam…I honestly don't think you're smarter than I am. On your best day we're like maybe a tie. But intelligence aside, you're wiser."

He heard the varying and complex frequencies of the "whale songs" and they still terrified him, even though it was just a memory. But the _memory _of the fear was nearly as paralyzing as it had been that day.

The scene blurred again. The water rushed out leaving Rodney on the floor, John and Radek helped him to his feet and took him to the other Jumper while the memory Sam waved good-bye. The scene wavered once more and the corridor of the _Daedalus_ reappeared. Rodney chanced a quick look at Sam's face. She was smiling as she took a step closer and enclosed him in a hug. He hugged her back and this time it felt different, not like before when she was afraid or relieved. It was like they had, after more than six years, finally become friends. And, since this part was _her_ show, he let her hug him as long as she wanted. He released her when she pulled back.

"Wanna get something to eat?" Rodney asked.

"Sure. The good thing about this is we won't have to worry about it all going to our hips so we can have whatever we want. You might even be able to eat lemon chicken without having an allergic reaction."

"Hey, there's an idea. I'd rather have veal though." They continued down the corridor chatting about everything and nothing. Just like real friends.

*****

Rodney's vital signs increased suddenly and dramatically causing alarms to shatter the otherwise quiet atmosphere of the infirmary. Pulse, blood pressure, EEG, all were now well above normal. Examining the recording Carolyn and Jennifer saw an area of hyperstimulation. It appeared that his fight or flight response had been initiated but by what they didn't know. Jennifer started to administer a sedative but it had just as quickly returned to what was passing for normal. They compared Rodney's to Sam's and found nearly identical patterns. Whatever Rodney was doing, he appeared to be doing it with Sam.

Jennifer sent Carolyn to get some rest, pulled a chair up to Rodney's bedside, took his right hand in hers and was asleep within seconds.

**TBC**


	7. Dream Big and Dare to Fail

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 6**

**Dream Big and Dare to Fail**

When Jennifer awoke there had been no changes to Rodney's and Sam's conditions. She was frustrated just as she knew Carolyn was. She decided to shower and change. Sgt. Harriman ("please call me Walter") was kind enough to show her to her assigned quarters. She found that both hers and Rodney's personal belongings had been placed there. Since Rodney was now in the infirmary she placed his carryall in the closet and went into the bathroom shedding her borrowed lab coat as she went.

* * * * *

Now that she was feeling a little more human she went for a walk. Somehow she ended up in Sam's office. She didn't know if she would understand the information Rodney had compiled but she had to try. That's how she found the handwritten note. Jennifer smiled. His handwriting was atrocious.

_Jennifer,_

_If you've found this note then I am most likely in the same situation as Sam. Contact Dr. Zelenka. We've both studied the information from PXX-275 and he will be able to pick up where I've left off. My next step would have been to go to the planet and examine the device in person. I would probably be there now but off world travel was forbidden by my doctors. (That's you and Carolyn by the way.) When a team is finally sent to 275 I ask that you do _not_ go with them. I don't want you end up in the same condition as Sam and I._

_I've never said it to his face or even out loud but Radek is an exceptionally capable scientist and an invaluable member of the Atlantis science team. If anything should happen to me, be sure to tell Woolsey that he would be the best choice as a replacement._

_Also, there is a file in my quarters. I've left everything to Jeannie and Madison. That was before…well, that was before. I haven't had time to make any changes. _

_Please try not to worry. I'm sure everything will work out and we'll be together again soon._

_Love, _

_Rodney_

A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She heard footsteps behind her and swiped the small trail of moisture away before she turned. It was Jack O'Neill.

"Sorry, Dr. Keller, I didn't expect anyone else to be here."

"Please call me Jennifer, General. And I have no idea why I'm here. I just thought…"

"It's Jack. And I understand." He moved to stand in front of her. "It's never easy to see family or friends injured or sick."

She nodded and not for the first time wondered why he was here at the SGC. He was the head of the Department of Homeworld Security and it was headquartered in D.C. It didn't really matter so she didn't ask. Instead, she told him she needed to contact Atlantis and he escorted her to the control room. He waited while she sent the message.

"When was the last time you ate something, Jennifer?" Jack asked after the system shut down.

"Um, what day is it?"

"That's too long. Let's go."

"I'm not hungry."

"That's fine. Just sit with me. You see, I don't like to eat alone. Besides, I've got some hot gossip I'm dying to pass on and no one to tell it to."

Jennifer silently thanked him. He had sensed that she needed a temporary distraction and was willing to provide one. He gestured that she should precede him and they were gone. When they arrived in the mess hall Jennifer decided she was hungry after all.

* * * * *

John Sheppard looked none too happy as he escorted Zelenka to the Gate Room. He was more than a little ticked that Woolsey had denied his request to accompany the scientist back to Earth. He didn't know how he could help but needed to do…something. Ronon and Teyla had the same idea and had been similarly denied. Apparently the three of them could not be spared at this time.

Sheppard handed him the duffle he'd carried. "Keep us updated on the situation and call if you need anything." What he meant was keep _him_ updated.

"Thank you, Colonel. I will." To Amelia Banks he said, "I am ready."

When the rippling water effect replaced the wormhole, Radek shook Sheppard's hand and stepped through the event horizon to emerge at the SGC. He was welcomed, informed that Rodney had been working from Colonel Carter's office and was escorted there immediately.

* * * * *

As expected, Radek came to the same conclusions and conjectures that Rodney had. The only thing left to do was to examine the device in person. He informed General Landry and plans were made. It was night on the continent where the ruins were located and he, Mitchell, Jack O'Neill, and Jennifer would leave in five hours, thirty minutes after local sunrise. (Teal'c had just gone off world with SG-12, Vala was with SG-17 on THX-138 and Daniel Jackson was still on light duty and would be back full time in a few days.)

* * * * *

Jennifer sat at the small desk in the room she might have shared with the man she loved. She had read and re-read the part of his note imploring her not to go with the team to PXX-275. If he were here she'd no doubt have a fight on her hands but he was asleep in the infirmary and in no position to argue. Carolyn Lam and her medical team could handle anything that came up which made her superfluous. She only came on this adventure because Rodney asked her to. Now that she was here and Rodney was in the same state as Colonel Carter she had a plan to put into action and needed to be on the planet to execute it. It took some fast talking but General Landry finally gave in. She had the feeling that he gave in as much to shut her up as because she had made a valid argument about her medical skills being needed if something should happen. Either way, she had achieved her ultimate goal. She was going to PXX-275.

Jennifer pulled paper and pen from the center desk drawer writing the date and time at the top of the page and "Dear Carolyn" under it. She marshaled her thoughts for a few moments then began to write.

* * * * *

Sam and Rodney were in the Officer's Mess on the dream _Daedalus, _more at ease with each other than they had ever been. At the moment Sam was laughing so hard she could barely stay in her chair. Rodney was telling her the story of the alien device that had given his pheromones a major boost creating havoc for him, Sheppard and much of the Atlantis expedition. (Shameless plug by author: Read "_Scent of a McKay or Can You Smell Me Now?_".)

"Thanks _so_ much for laughing because, goodness knows, I didn't get _nearly_ enough of that while it was happening." His voice dripped sarcasm. "The one that laughed the hardest was, of course, Ronon."

Sam made an effort to bring herself under control but it was a struggle. "S-s-sorry, Rodney. " She used a napkin to wipe her eyes. She'd finally stopped laughing though her eyes still glittered with suppressed amusement. "You had to take _baths_ together? Th-th-that's the funniest thing I have ever h-h-heard. Well, not the part about Sheppard. But everything else."

"Okay. Okay. Can we just _change_ the subject? How about _you_ tell a funny story? Preferably one that does _not_ end with my humiliation at the hands of another."

Sam thought for a few moments and began the tale of how the SGC was unintentionally the inspiration for the now-cancelled television series _Wormhole X-treme!_ and how it had gotten Teal'c the nickname Murray.

* * * * *

Mitchell, Jennifer, Jack and Radek approached the ruins where the alien device was located. Most of the buildings had been taken over by vegetation very similar to that found in the more fertile areas of Earth. Many of them were crumbling and unsafe. The one which housed the device was more intact than any of the others though it too would eventually succumb to the ravages of time.

"Mitchell and I will do a recon while you two get to work." Jennifer, Radek and Mitchell nodded assent. O'Neill and Mitchell headed in opposite directions around the perimeter of the building, all senses on the alert. Thirty minutes later they were back at their starting point having found nothing of interest.

"I'll keep an eye on things out here if you want to go, you know." Mitchell told O'Neill. The General nodded and made his way inside.

* * * * *

Jennifer was more than a little bored. She was keeping Radek company, passing him tools and equipment so he wouldn't have to reach for them. Most of what he was doing made no sense to her, just like when she would visit Rodney in his lab. He was always telling her not to touch anything and, after the body switching incident, she was very careful to keep her hands to herself unless told otherwise.

Well, most of the time. Sometimes she would put her arms around him from behind and touch him in ways that would guarantee that he'd forget about work for a while. She laughed to herself remembering an incident where she had him backed against a wall and they were in the process of unbuttoning each others clothing when one of his staff came in. The poor woman had turned beet red and run from the room. Since that time she'd refused to meet Jennifer's eyes whenever they encountered one another.

Radek stepped back abruptly interrupting her musings. He had that smile on his face that is sometimes accompanied by the person jumping up and shouting "eureka!" O'Neill joined them at this moment.

"What've you got, Zelenka?"

"I believe I have determined the device's purpose. It is similar to the Ancient's communication device that caused Jennifer to switch bodies with the convicted criminal Neeva Casol. But in this case it is used by psychologists to diagnose and treat sleeping disorders like night terrors, sleep walking, and so forth."

"Okay. That's good." Jack remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Putting both parties to sleep was _not_ its intention nor is the psychic connection. Our brains operate just differently enough than those of the original occupants of the planet for it to be a problem for us."

"Now that's bad."

"What is the recommended treatment?" Jennifer asked.

Radek's elation at discovering some of the secrets of the device faded. "Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to determine our next course of action. Further study is necessary to establish the protocols to _undo_ what has been done to Colonel Carter and Rodney. Until then, they will have to stay as they are."

* * * * *

The motion-activated light in Carolyn's office snapped on when she entered, the brightness causing her to blink rapidly. She slumped in her chair rubbing her eyes. A deep fortifying breath in…and out then she pulled herself up to the desk, opened her eyes and saw the envelope propped against the monitor. "Do not open until 0700 tomorrow" was written on the front. _Screw that_, she thought as she ripped it open and extracted the single folded page. Her body snapped upright as she read the words Jennifer had written. She reached for the phone speaking urgently. "Sgt. Harriman, I need to speak with General Landry immediately! It's about Dr. Keller."

**TBC**


	8. No Small Dreams

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 7**

**No Small Dreams**

General O'Neill and Colonel Mitchell wandered in and out of the crumbling edifice. Radek could see that they were bored but there was nothing for it but to continue. Rodney's and Colonel Carter's lives were at stake. He would not, _could not_ rest until he found the solution.

The device was not large, maybe one meter by two but was an integral part of one of the main supports in the building so they were not inclined to try to remove it. It had a similar design to the Ancient communications device that had caused Jennifer to switch places with Neeva Casol but was green and copper colored without the central crystal. In place of the recesses for the stones it had biometric hand readers, one on each side. The symbols above each reader were different leading Radek to the conclusion that one side was for the therapist and the other for the patient. As there were no scans of Colonel Carter touching it, there was no way to know _where_ she had touched it. In the reports it was stated that there was a very low level of power coming from the device and that was still true.

He'd been working for hours with only the occasional break for food, water and trips to the facilities. His diligence was rewarded at last! Finally he had the answer they'd been searching for: the treatment, cure, whatever you wanted to call it. The only drawback was only Colonel Carter and Rodney could help themselves but they didn't know it. Someone on the outside would have to surrender themselves to the device in order to get the information to them. He knew there would be an argument about who would be the one to go. Each of them would have their own reasons just as he did. He also knew that the others would not allow him to take the chance because he was needed here just in case something went wrong.

For a small space of time he had considered not telling anyone and just doing it. But Jennifer refused to leave his side and would no doubt stop him. She was stronger than she looked since she'd started taking sparring lessons, though he gathered that Ronon had recently asked her to begin taking them from Teyla. He didn't understand it but it was none of his business so he let it go.

He gathered his resolve and called the team together to advise them of his discoveries and let the arguments begin.

*****

Sam and Rodney had talked in a way that they never would have been able to before they came to an understanding, before they had finally become friends. Now they were running out of things to say and were enjoying a companionable silence when a thought occurred to him.

"Sam, why haven't we happened onto one of _your_ memories?" Rodney was curious to know.

Sam's brows knitted in thought. "You know, I didn't think about that. But you're right. Why didn't we?"

"I suppose we'll know soon enough. Or not. It's not like there's anything we can do about…anything from here." He pushed the last little bit of food around on his plate with a fork. He'd eaten two servings of veal and all the trimmings plus dessert but didn't feel full. Of course he didn't feel hungry either. He even tried a bite of Sam's lemon chicken. It had a harsh sour taste and he'd guessed that it was just his perception of what it would taste like because he hadn't had any sort of citrus since his allergy had been discovered when he was a child.

"Hey, wanna play some cards?" Sam's voice intruded on his introspection.

"Sure. We just need…" their dishes vanished and a deck of cards appeared on the table in front of them, "…a deck of cards. Hmm. I could get used to this."

Sam laughed, picked up the cards and her eyes went wide. "_McKay-ay_!"

"What?" She turned the cards so he could see that the designs on the back were pictures of scantily clad women. "Oh, sorry." When she looked again they had changed to photos of Jennifer…fully dressed of course.

Sam shuffled then laid the stack on the table for Rodney to cut. "High card chooses the game." They each took a small stack of cards from the larger one and turned them over. Rodney had the three of clubs and Sam had the ten of diamonds. She gathered up the cards and shuffled again as she named the game then began to deal.

"I guess it's too much to ask that we'd play strip poker." Rodney said it with an overly dramatic leer so she would know he was joking. "It's just as well. I've never been very good at poker. Sheppard says I have too many tells."

"Funny, McKay. Just play."

*****

The team came together listening raptly as Radek went over his latest discoveries about the device. Elation turned to apprehension when he informed them that one of them would have to volunteer to use the machine in order to help their colleagues and friends.

"I'll go." Mitchell and O'Neill spoke at the same time.

"Mitchell, I've done this before. I'll do it." O'Neill's tone brooked no arguments from his subordinate. But that never stopped Mitchell before and didn't now.

"All due respect, General, _I_ am the most expendable person on this little misadventure. You're in command, Zelenka is needed here and Keller is a…"

"…woman?" Jennifer finished with contempt. "I would never have expected gender bias from _you_, Colonel."

"I was _going_ to say 'doctor'. And its _chivalry_ not gender bias, Doctor."

Jennifer nodded acceptance of his clarification. O'Neill and Mitchell continued to bicker and quarrel. Zelenka was drawn into the conflict taking him away from the device.

The "cure" fit into Jennifer's plan just fine. While their attention was diverted she moved closer to the device. She'd made mental notes on everything Radek had uncovered while they'd worked together and was ready to go forward with her own agenda. So immersed in concentration was she that it almost didn't register when O'Neill answered his radio.

"O'Neill." A pause, "Yes, she's right here, awake and kicking." His eyes went wide as he listened to General Landry's urgent voice. "_What_?" To Mitchell and Zelenka he shouted, "Stop her! She's…" They turned as one moving quickly in Jennifer's direction.

"Sorry, Jack. I can't let you, any of you, stop me. I _have_ to do this. For Rodney…and for Sam." Jennifer reached out and laid both hands on the device making certain she thought only about Rodney and Sam. It began to glow and pulse, slowly at first then faster. The glow became bright and steady. Jennifer's head snapped back, eyes closed. She took a long deep breath, held it, and then slumped to the ground.

**TBC**


	9. Only Dreamers Can Teach Us to Soar

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 8**

**Only Dreamers Can Teach Us to Soar**

"Jennifer!" The men rushed forward and Jack caught her as she fell easing her to the ground. He brushed the hair from her face and checked her pulse. Steady and strong. "Okay, let's pack up this dog and pony show and get her to the infirmary."

Mitchell insisted on carrying Jennifer and he crossed the event horizon into the SGC with her slung over one shoulder caveman fashion. The medical team rushed forward to take the sleeping woman and place her on a gurney. Mitchell circled his shoulder and massaged the muscles that had supported her weight for three klicks. General Landry stepped forward noting the somber faces.

"Sorry, Hank." O'Neill stated simply.

Landry nodded. "She had this planned well in advance as she said in the note left for Dr. Lam."

"I guess there's nothing we can do but wait for them to come out of it." Mitchell put in.

"True. Debriefing in one hour." The men exited the Gate Room and went their separate ways.

*****

The wave of disorientation passed quickly and Jennifer found herself on the bridge of the _Daedalus_. She looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed in the same white scrubs Rodney had described Sam and him wearing while in the dream state. She gave a shout of triumph and took off at a run looking for the man she loved and her friend Sam. Instinct took her to the Mess Hall because that's where Rodney would have headed even in his dreams.

She heard no voices as she approached so she poked her head carefully around the door. There, in the middle of the room, she saw Rodney and Sam staring intently at each other. They might have been in a staring contest but for the cards fanned in front of their faces.

"It's your turn, McKay. Quit stalling."

Rodney's left hand inched forward. He took the top card from the stack between them and turned it up. His eyes brightened. "Ah-_HA_!" With a flourish he placed the card between two in the middle of his hand then he spread them out on the table for Sam to see. That left him with a single card which he placed in the discard pile making him the winner…again. "Read 'em and weep, Blondie. That's Gin…again and it puts me ahead by" he turned her wrist so he could see her cards, "one hundred and seventy-five points!"

"Gee thanks so much for rubbing it in, McKay. Where'd you learn to play anyway? You are _ruthless_!"

"Can't tell you."

"Why? 'Cause then you'd have to _kill _me?" Her tone was teasing.

"No, but I might have to see if you're still ticklish in that spot under your left arm."

Sam's eyes went wide in feigned alarm. "You _wouldn't_!" She pushed her chair back and made as if to flee. Rodney did the same, a mischievous grin on his face. He started around the table toward her. The full bird Colonel and former commander of Atlantis gave a small shriek of make-believe alarm and turned to run.

Their silly banter made Jennifer laugh out loud calling attention to her presence.

"Jennifer!" Rodney exclaimed. He rushed forward and took her in his arms. They hugged each other tightly. "What are you…oh, _no_! I asked you _not_ to go to the planet. Now you're stuck here too."

"No. No, its okay, Rodney. I'm here to help. Radek finally figured out how to bring the two of you home."

"That's great!" Sam had joined them.

Rodney took her by the hand and led her to the table he and Sam had shared. She started with the intended purpose of the machine and finished with how to get the three of them home.

*****

"We have to find a door. Going through it is a way of moving on from, forgiving or closing the door on a traumatic event or situation that has caused a sleep disturbance like insomnia or sleep walking. Once you let the trauma go, pass through the door, you are 'healed'. And it may not even _look_ like a door." Jennifer sat back at the end of her recounting. Rodney reached out and took her hand.

"So, all we have to do is find a…" Sam made quotes in the air, "…door and go through it?"

Jennifer nodded. "Yes, exactly."

"Okay. Well, let's go." Rodney gestured to the exit. All three got to their feet and headed out. "We should do a methodical search one deck at a time."

"And we should split up. The search will go faster." Sam suggested. She assigned each of them a search area and they parted company with an agreement to meet back in the Mess Hall in one hour. Sooner if they found the door.

*****

Fifty minutes later Rodney returned to the Mess Hall to wait for his companions. When they arrived he informed them that he'd located the door on the Flight Deck. Their relief was clearly visible as the three hurried down the corridor. They rounded a corner near the Flight Deck and came to a halt. There in front of them was Atlantis' infirmary. Jennifer was confused but Rodney and Sam knew what was happening.

"Uh-oh. Not again." Rodney exclaimed. "Okay. Who does this one belong to?"

"What is it?"

He exhaled loudly. "This is another memory. But which one of us…" He trailed off when he saw Jennifer sitting in front of a monitor, remote in hand, watching a recording of Rodney. The date and time stamp said DAY 06 21:16.

The physician sighed. "It's…mine from when Rodney was infected with the Second Childhood parasite. We made logs every day to monitor the progress of his memory loss. He hasn't seen any of them yet."

Sam's eyebrows rose and she said unnecessarily, "Looks like he's about to."

Mouth open in surprise Rodney watched himself tell Jennifer that he'd loved her for some time. He saw the anger at her inability to help him on her face as her hand clenched on the remote. The log from day six was replaced with another, the one from day eighteen. He barely remembered the names of his sister and friends.

While they watched, the memory Jennifer dropped the remote and put her head on the desk, her body shuddering as she cried. A male hand pressed itself to her shoulder, turning her around. The memory Sheppard looked at the scene displayed on the monitor: Rodney's final good-byes. His face showed his own pain and loss as he watched Jennifer cry. He pulled her into his arms, giving and taking comfort.

"He-he-he's going to die and I can't help him!" Her hands wrapped around Sheppard gripping the back of his shirt tightly as she put her head on his shoulder and sobbed. His hands stroked gently up and down Jennifer's back. Eventually her sobbing slowed then finally stopped and Jennifer pushed herself out of his arms, her hands swiping away the moisture on her cheeks. She sniffed and Sheppard passed her a towel. At this point the memory faded away and the entrance to the Flight Deck reappeared.

"Jennifer," Rodney's voice was faint with wonder, "y-you knew how I felt all that time? Why didn't you say something?"

"So much happened after that, Rodney. Teyla being transformed into a Wraith queen, being kidnapped by the Runner, finding Janus's lab, the trial, Michael. Whenever you were near I wanted to tell you I loved you. It just never seemed the right time." Rodney pulled her into his arms and she clutched him to her, her head on his chest.

They heard a throat being cleared. "Sorry to interrupt this tender moment but can we get back to getting out of here?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." They pulled apart and Rodney stepped forward to activate the door mechanism. The cavernous room was curiously empty of the usual compliment of F-302s. In the middle of the deck was a whirlpool about three meters across. It made no sound just swirled and spun making Rodney dizzy.

"Well, Jennifer, do we just jump in or what?" Sam wanted to know. She'd moved as close to the boundary as she dared.

Jennifer too looked over the edge into the vortex. "I'm not sure. That seems logical. Rodney?"

He was starting to look a little nauseous. "Whatever. Can we just (gulp) do it soon?"

The two women laughed and Jennifer gave him a peck on the cheek. "What do you say? Together?"

Grinning, Sam nodded emphatically as did Rodney. He moved to stand between them and stretched both arms out. Each woman took hold of one of his hands. "Ladies, on three. One, two…"

Together they said, "Three!" and jumped.

**TBC**


	10. As You Dream You Shall Become

**Hide and Sleep**

**Chapter 9**

**As You Dream You Shall Become**

O'Neill, Mitchell, Zelenka and Dr. Jones stepped through the Stargate and onto the surface of PXX-275. They'd returned to the planet to further study the device. They were nearly there when they saw a huge pile of rubble that hadn't been there before. When they got close enough they could see it was the building in which the device had been housed.

O'Neill, the only one of them with the ATA gene, used one of the detectors brought to Earth by Rodney to scan the debris. He turned it so the others could see that the readings were negative.

"What's that mean exactly?" Mitchell asked.

"It means, Colonel that we are unable to detect the device either because it has stopped functioning, has been destroyed or has been removed. The only way to know which is to dig through the debris and try to locate it." Zelenka's glasses had slid down his nose and he pushed them back into place with an irritated gesture. He'd been looking forward to examining the machine for the next few weeks until the _Daedalus_ returned and he, Rodney and Jennifer could return to Atlantis.

O'Neill exhaled loudly. "This wasn't an accident or an earthquake. See there, there and there? Someone used explosives so I'm gonna guess that it's gone or destroyed and not just inactive."

Mitchell laughed. "Then they probably don't know what it does because who would want to make off with a machine for curing trauma-induced sleep disorders?"

O'Neill thought for a moment then shrugged. "I got nothing."

The men all shared a look then at O'Neill's nod they turned and headed back to the Stargate.

*****

Rodney and Jennifer both shot to a sitting position in their beds breathing hard and calling each others names. A flurry of activity around Sam's bed pulled their attention in that direction. Jennifer tossed back the blanket and removed the EEG and heart monitors. Yanking the I.V. from the back of her left hand, she grabbed a gauze pad and tape from a nearby tray and applied pressure to the area. She reached up and turned off hers and Rodney's monitor screens to stop the alarms as she moved to join Carolyn and her staff. Sam's blue eyes were wide and she was clutching at her throat.

"Sam? Sam!" Carolyn spoke evenly and quietly. "You still have the breathing tube in and we need to remove it. That's why you feel like you're choking." Rodney, still with his I.V. but divested of the monitor leads, had joined Jennifer at Sam's bedside. When she saw the two of them she relaxed and the medical staff was finally able to remove the breathing tube. She coughed a few times and one of the nurses put a straw to her lips allowing her to take a few sips of water. "Better?" Sam nodded. "You'll have a sore throat and your voice will be a bit raspy but that will pass in a few days. I'll be giving you a full examination shortly but first we'll get out of the way and let your friends visit with you for a bit." Carolyn smiled motioning her staff away.

*****

O'Neill's radio chirped and he put up a hand to stop their forward motion. "O'Neill." A pause. "They have? That's fantastic news." Another pause. "Yes, I'll let them know." He turned back to his teammates. "Carter, McKay and Keller are all awake!"

The smile on O'Neill's face was mirrored on the faces of the other three and Mitchell gave a whoop of triumph. They continued their trek back to the Stargate with a lighter step.

*****

On the second day of their recovery, Rodney was helping Sam walk to the Mess Hall for lunch for the first time, Jennifer trailing behind. He had his right arm around her waist as she gripped his left. She was more than a little ticked off that her strength was taking so long to return and said so at every opportunity. Like now. Rodney tuned her out and kept smiling and nodding at random intervals. He must have done a good job because she didn't seem to notice he wasn't really listening. A glance at Jennifer's face and she rolled her eyes at him. He gave her a small shrug of apology.

In the Mess Hall they saw Jack sitting alone. Rodney settled Sam across from Jack and he and Jennifer went through the line to get their meals. Rodney carried two trays to the table, placing one in front of Sam.

"What's this, McKay?"

"What do you mean? It's lunch. A turkey sandwich on rye, an apple and a glass of milk." She just looked at him. He exhaled loudly. "What? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Well, I was kind of craving lemon chicken."

He stood up and reached for her tray. "Oh. Sorry. I'll take this back and…"

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I'm _kidding_, Rodney. This is fine." Jack laughed and silently passed her the spicy mustard. She smiled her thanks and squirted a generous amount on each half of the sandwich.

The four of them spent an enjoyable meal together with Sam and Rodney regaling Jack and Jennifer with what happened before Jennifer joined them in the sleep state.

*****

Jennifer and Rodney were in the bathroom attached to their quarters at the SGC brushing their teeth. Jennifer rinsed, stuck her toothbrush in the holder to the right of the sink and dried her hands. She went to sit on the side of the bed to wait for Rodney. A few moments later he switched off the light and closed the door.

"Rodney," she patted the bed beside her. He was puzzled by her expression but did as she asked. "I have a question for you and need an honest answer."

"Um, okay."

"Are you still in love with Sam?"

"_Still_ in love with…? I was _never_ in love with her."

"Rodney, people talk and they did a lot of talking while she was in Atlantis." Her tone was reproving.

"Well 'they' were wrong. I _was_ attracted to her for a long time but that's been over for a while. We're just good friends now." He met her eyes and held them, wanting her to know he was being truthful. "There's a saying that the best love affairs are those we never had. But you and me, right here, right now, _that_ is the best love affair I've ever _had_ or _will_ _have_. Nothing and no one will _ever_ matter to me as much as you do."

Jennifer reached out a hand and touched his cheek. "I knew that. I just needed to hear the words."

"I understand." He turned his face into the hand at his cheek and kissed her palm. A tug on her arm and he fell back bringing her across his chest. "Now let's talk about what you have on under those baggy pj's."

Laughing, she straddled his hips, pushing both hands up under his shirt to caress his chest. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

He grasped the hem of her shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor. "Deal."

*****

Carolyn released Sam from the infirmary and Jack walked her back to her quarters. Once she was settled the atmosphere became tense with things left unsaid. "How much longer will you be here?"

"Oh, maybe another day or so. I'll need to get back to D.C. no later than Monday."

"Carolyn told me you stayed by my bedside for days, sometimes even sleeping in your chair. Thank you."

Jack waved away her gratitude. "You would have done the same for a…friend."

She turned away from him so he wouldn't see her emotions reflected in her eyes. "Friends? Is that what we are, Jack? Is that _all_ we are?"

"Sam…" He stopped when she abruptly turned to face him again.

"Jack, while I was…asleep I could leave my body. More than once I was beside you while you held my hand and talked to me."

His face gave nothing away but his words did. "What did you…hear?"

Carefully, as if she expected rejection, she reached out and took his hand in hers. "Everything. I heard…everything."

"And…"

When she brought her eyes up to meet his, the light reflected in them told him all he needed to know but she voiced it anyway. "Ditto. To all of it."

He enfolded her in his arms, her head on his chest. "Good. That's…good."

They stayed just like that for a while. Not moving or talking. After a while Sam said, "Jack, I've been thinking..."

"About…?"

"Leaving the SGC. I've had several very lucrative job offers from the private sector. I could basically write my own ticket." She pushed out of his arms and sank down in the closest chair, her strength deserting her again. "I've talked it over with General Landry and if I do this he wants me to continue with the SGC as a civilian consultant to the Stargate program. That means…"

"I know what it means."

"And…"

He pulled her to her feet and into his arms again. "This…" His head came down to hers and their lips met, gently at first. Then it changed, became more urgent, more demanding, as if he might never get to kiss her again and wanted to imprint the feel and taste of her on his own lips. And she did the same.

**TBC**


	11. Epilogue To Those Who Can Dream

**Hide and Sleep**

**Epilogue**

**To Those Who Can Dream There Is No Such Place as Faraway**

**Two Weeks Later**

Sam, Rodney, Jennifer and Radek were saying a final good-bye in the Gate Room of the SGC surrounded by equipment and duffle bags.

"Now don't forget to email me when you get back to Atlantis, all of you. Here's my home email address."

Rodney looked at the piece of paper in confusion. "But I already have your email address." Sam pursed her lips and said nothing. "Oh, okay, I get it. It wasn't your _real_ email address. Very funny. Ha-ha!" She shrugged helplessly.

Sgt. Harriman's voice echoed in the vast room. "Doctors, the Daedalus is ready to receive you whenever you're ready."

Jennifer turned and waved. "Thanks, Walter. Give us another minute."

Sam drew each of them into a quick hug, Rodney last. "Before you go, I have something for you. But you can't open until you get to Pegasus." She passed him a small white box tied with a silver ribbon.

"Ooo. I love presents!" It was approximately four inches on a side and heavy for its size. He shook it but it gave no indication of its contents. He pushed it into his duffle bag and motioned to Sgt. Harriman that they were ready. He flashed Sam a last smile and they were gone.

*****

"Dr. McKay, we're just entering the outermost edge of Pegasus." Colonel Caldwell's voice sounded in Rodney's ear.

"Thank you." He took out the white box tied with silver ribbon that Sam had given him and sat there looking at it.

"Rodney?" Jennifer was standing at his side as curious as he about to the contents. "What're you waiting for? Open it!"

He sighed. "What if it's something embarrassing?"

"Do you really think Sam would do that? Just open it!"

"Okay." He slid the ribbon off and removed the lid. Inside was a short note in Sam's neat handwriting.

_Rodney,_

_I saw this and thought of you. Enjoy!_

_Your friend,_

_Sam_

He pealed back the paper cushioning the object and began to laugh.

"Rodney! What is it?" Jennifer asked impatiently and Rodney held up a fist-sized glass paperweight in the shape of a lemon.

Laughing too, Jennifer took him by the hand and they went to meet Radek for dinner.

_**Fin**_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it. Please don't sue.

**A/N:** This is the last chapter of Hide and Sleep. Many thanks to all who R/R! A sequel of sorts is in the works and will appear soon.

Namaste',

Sandy


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